


Can't Go Home Again

by esmerelda_t



Category: Daredevil (TV)
Genre: F/M, Mentions of Cancer, Not Canon Compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-19
Updated: 2019-05-19
Packaged: 2020-03-07 21:26:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18881572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/esmerelda_t/pseuds/esmerelda_t
Summary: Karen hears the ping of an email arriving on her phone as she gets on the Piccadilly line. She waits till she’s seated to fish in her bag and dig her phone out from the bottom where it inevitably seems to fall. Smiles when she’s see’s it’s from Foggy. She’s not heard from him for a while. There’s a rush of familiar nausea, the kind that comes with instant worry when the email begins I’m really sorry to be that asshole who does this kind of thing over an email…..





	Can't Go Home Again

Karen lifts her bento box onto her lap as she settles back down on her lunch room chair, gathered around the TV for the verdict with her colleagues. Live from New York City, the trial of the century. Most had stayed on in the newsroom to watch it, no one wanting to brave the commute in case they missed the jury coming back in.

Loki Odinson has been on trial for seven weeks. His defence? Mitigating circumstances, being a reformed character and his instrumental part in the defeat of Thanos.

Besides her Sadie sighs in exaggerated dreaminess, “I’ll miss my daily dose of Hot Lawyer Asshole Ex.” Karen grimaces, “I won’t.”

There had been absolutely no point in pretending otherwise when Odinson’s defence team had been announced. She might have gotten away with Matt, after all you could probably throw a stone in New York and hit a woman with an asshole lawyer ex-boyfriend called Matt. There were probably less “But Foggy’s a great guy, he’s still one of my closest friends” anecdotes over after work drinks. It was her apocalyptic break up with Matt that had brought her to London to work two years ago. An ocean between them seemed like the minimum safe distance.

On screen Odinson sits between his lawyers, the camera pans between them and behind them, were Thor is sitting, looking far more anxious than his impassive brother does. Both Matt and Foggy are wearing what looks like their poker faces to the rest of the world but Karen know better, knows they’re nervous. She was surprised they’d taken the case. The camera pans momentarily to the other Avengers present and Sadie, very maturely, nudges Karen when the camera lands on Black Widow.

She’s been all over the tabloids with Matt. Officially she’s the Avenger assigned to be his protection detail, to no one’s surprise there’d been threats against anyone trying to prevent Odinson getting what was coming to him. Sam Wilson is assigned to Foggy.

While there’s been the odd paparazzi shot of Foggy and Wilson, certainly looking congenial, they haven’t looked anywhere near as intimately acquainted as Matt and Romanoff.

The low level of chat in the lunch room comes to a halt as the forewoman of the jury stands. There’s a dramatic, TV Movie, pause and then; “Not Guilty.” All around her Karen’s colleagues erupt in chatter and arguments, some rush from the room to hit their desks, Karen remains glued to the screen. Odinson’s expression barely changes, even when his brother crushes him to his chest. When Thor finally lets Odinson go he bear hugs Foggy and Matt in turn. Odinson looks like a man who had hoped it would soon all be over and now has the rest of his life to not look forward to. For the first time Karen actually feels sorry for him.

~

_A year later_

Karen hears the ping of an email arriving on her phone as she gets on the Piccadilly line. She waits till she’s seated to fish in her bag and dig her phone out from the bottom where it inevitably seems to fall. Smiles when she’s see’s it’s from Foggy. She’s not heard from him for a while. There’s a rush of familiar nausea, the kind that comes with instant worry when the email begins _I’m really sorry to be that asshole who does this kind of thing over an email….._

Cancer. Foggy has cancer. Diagnosed four months ago. He didn’t know how to tell her without telling her face to face before realising he might _never_ get to tell her face to face.

Work is great about it, when she turns up forty minutes later bawling her eyes out, tells her that of course they understand she needs to go to New York.  She has a couple of hours to go home and throw stuff into a suitcase, calls John from the office and explains to him. He walks into their apartment fifteen minutes after she does, offers to come with her, because he’s that sort of boyfriend.

She shakes her head, she’s not ready for that, to have him there. She likes the fact that he’s completely separate from that life.

Foggy emails again when she’s at the airport waiting to board, she’s already replied to him that she’s catching the next flight she can. _I’ll ask someone to come and meet you_.

~

She expects it to be Brett, or maybe Luke or Danny, as a real outlier Jessica. Who else does Foggy know? She’s so busy looking for someone she knows that Foggy knows in the arrivals lounge that she doesn’t notice Black Widow until she’s right in front of her, holding her hand out in introduction. Her greeting is, for a deadly assassin super spy, surprisingly warm, “Karen? I’m Natasha, Foggy sent me, I’ve heard a lot about you. It’s a pleasure to finally meet.”

Karen at least remembers to close her gapping mouth before extending her own hand.

Natasha leads her out to the car park and JFK is still in the rear view mirror when Natasha says, “So this is a little awkward….”

Karen is careful to sound nonchalant, “Matt and I were over a long time ago, it’s fine, really, I’m here for Foggy.”

Karen doesn’t miss the quick, amused, glance, Natasha throws her way, “While that’s good to know I meant the whole finding out Foggy was sick via email. To be honest I think he’s just reached the point where he’s exhausted telling people and dealing with their hysterical crying. Email was the path of least resistance.”

“Let me guess, Matt took the news with his usual stoicism?” Karen hopes she sounds less bitchy than part of her feels, she knows all too well how devastated Matt must be, Foggy is the only family he has.  Natasha’s smile is wry, “Oh yeah, wait, English isn’t my first language, stoicism means collapsing in a fit of man anguish right? I could hear Foggy’s scream of ‘This isn’t actually about you, Matt!’ from down the hall.

That statement piques Karen’s curiosity, “You were there? When Foggy told Matt?”

Natasha glances over again, or maybe she’s just checking the side window, “Um. Yeah. Well around, for moral support. Foggy actually told me first, I went with him for the tests. You know Matt hates hospitals….he wanted me to tell Matt…but I thought it was better Foggy did it himself. Called that one wrong, Matt would have been just as hysterical if I told him but at least by the time Foggy had to deal with him he’d have been calmer. He has completely stepped up to the bat now though, to be fair, although I don’t think Jess was kidding when she said she’d literally shove his head up his ass if he didn’t pull himself together.”

It’s Karen’s turn to grin wryly, “Sounds like Jess.”

Natasha laughs and nods in agreement and while Karen joins in she also feels weirdly displaced by this woman who accompanies Foggy on hospital visits and calls in Jessica when Matt needs his ass kicked. Once it would have been her.

~

Foggy’s lost weight, and hair. Karen does her best not to cry. He doesn’t look _good_ but in truth he doesn’t look quite as bad as she feared he would. They sit in the kitchen while Karen recounts her trip as Natasha makes tea behind them, she puts the pot down, tells them she’ll leave them to catch up and exits, Foggy gives Karen a smug look after he’s double checked she’s gone up the stairs, “So that’s Natasha, feel free to completely freak out now.”

Karen shakes her head in bemusement, “Why? She’s surprisingly nice. What were you expecting? Massive cat fight?”

Foggy makes a face that would be an eyebrow raise if he currently had any, “Actually I meant freaking out in an _oh my god an Avenger picked me up at the airport_ way.” Karen feels her face begin to heat up, that’s twice she’s assumed someone was referring to Matt when in fact they weren’t. Foggy continues, “She is surprisingly nice though, under the black leather and ability to choke a man three times her size with her thighs.” Foggy gestures around the kitchen of the brownstone in the Upper West Side that they’re currently in, “This is her place. She and Matt were in a state of semi co-habitation when I got sick. She’s got the room and it made more sense for me to come here. Plus it meant Matt could cry himself to sleep into her bosom instead of my rapidly decreasing one.  He stayed at mine for the first week of chemo and as I’m sure you also know Matt’s a clinger and chemo induced hot flushes are a bitch. Besides he can’t nurse me and keep the lights on at the office. Natasha’s schedule, barring a world ending event, is much more flexible. She takes me to my appointments, hangs out with me, makes tea, does airport runs, it’s basically like having the world’s deadliest PA.”

Karen moves her mouth in what she hopes is smile and not a grimace, pushes down the nagging feeling of guilt that she should have been here to carry some of the burden.

~

Karen hadn’t thought far enough ahead to arrange accommodation, she hadn’t realised Foggy wasn’t at his own apartment and had just sort of assumed she could crash there. She vaguely wonders if he’s kept the apartment on and if she could stay there anyway. They’re having dinner, ordered in, when Natasha waves her hand and insists that Karen is here to spend time with Foggy and of course she will stay here _with_ Foggy. Natasha also addresses the Matt shaped elephant in the room, saying firmly, “This is my house, you’re here as my guest.”  Foggy offers more reassurance, “He’s up early and back late, you’ll probably hardly even see him and if you do, well, everyone is an adult who’s moved on, right?”

Karen nods and smiles, “Exactly, we’re all adults, thank you, Natasha, it would be great if I could stay here.” She has no doubt that Matt will avoid her, and that suits her just fine.

When  she quickly skypes John on her phone after dinner while she’s settling in to her room, he’s wide eyed and giddy at hearing of her new acquaintance, “You’re in _Black Widow’s_ house? Does she have a casual, day wear Kevlar catsuit that she wears at home?”

Karen shakes her head, laughing at the image, “No, and before you ask she’s not in a baby doll nightie either.” John snorts, “Well now you’re just ruining all my fun. So Foggy’s doing well?”

Karen nods, “He’s responding to the treatments, it’s still fairly early days but they’re optimistic.”

 

John tries to broach the subject of how she feels being under the same roof as Matt but Karen brushes it off, changing the subject.

~

Karen has a colleague who met Thor once and spent the best part of three weeks talking about his _presence_. All of the Avengers have an aura, a charisma, they’re the _Avengers_ but people tend to save their really starry eyed reactions for Thor. She’s seen people interviewed who had been saved by Loki have similar reactions, only with a hint more terror, there’s one clip on YouTube where one guy breathlessly describes Loki as “The scariest bastard I’ve ever seen in my life, hot as fuck though.”

Karen is starting to get it. She’s sitting on a sofa with Foggy in Natasha’s living room and Thor and Loki are sitting opposite them. It’s obvious neither of them are human, it’s something about the eyes. She’s managed to nod a few times to questions Thor has asked her but really she knows she’s making a fool of herself, from Thor and Foggy’s bemusement she guesses this isn’t an uncommon occurrence. Loki seems completely disinterested in her, which is something to be thankful for. He interrupts Thor and Foggy’s conversation to say, “You stink of decay, Franklin.”

Karen’s mouth falls open a little, Thor hisses, “Loki! Enough!” but Foggy just laughs, “Are you sure you’re really the god of lies, Loki? Not the god of no tact whatsoever?” Loki doesn’t bother to reply but his eyes remain steady on Foggy throughout the rest of his visit, as if he actually cares.

Once they wave their friendly neighbourhood Norse gods off they make lunch and Karen asks between mouthfuls of her ham salad sandwich, “So when did you and Loki become BFF’s?”

Foggy answers between his own bites, “He’s not a bad guy, deep down, really deep down, well he has redeeming qualities anyway, he loves his mother, for example.”

Karen’s sandwich nearly goes down her windpipe as she cackles, “Oh well then, no bad guy ever loved his mother, oh no, wait…”

Foggy swipes at her, “Stop it. He’s also really good with kids believe it or not.” Karen concedes that, she’s seen the photos of hospital visits and beaming kids, Foggy continues “And in addition to his mother, he also loves Thor, even though he’d cheerfully eviscerate himself with a soup spoon before he admitted it out loud.” It occurs to Karen she’s never asked, “How did you end up taking his case anyway?”

“Ah now there’s a story!” Foggy proclaims, “Actually no, it’s not much of one. Luke and Danny had a couple of wacky Avengers adventures, they recommended us. To be honest despite trying to talk ourselves into the fact that everyone is entitled to a defence, even Loki, it was Thor that swung it, it was like being begged by a Labrador trapped in the body of a really hot surfer” Karen pulls a face, “That’s a really disturbing image.” Foggy ignores her, “No one else would take the case so we did. The Avengers, believe it or not, didn’t know about Matt’s extracurricular activities, they probably never would have if the idiot hadn’t tried to give Natasha the slip three days in to go and bust up a nefarious ring of something or other. She, being a superspy, followed him, which was lucky as he ended up in the Hudson and she had to fish him out. Still she seems to find his total disregard for professional ethics, personal safety and my ulcer charming so it all worked out.”

~

Karen is checking her work email on her phone, the hospital has free WI-FI. Natasha is sitting beside her in the waiting room reading a mystery novel in Russian. Half way through an email a thought occurs to Karen, “Natasha, what do you do all day? I mean when you aren’t on a mission? Or with Foggy?”

Natasha’s eyes briefly flick up from her novel, “Train mainly.  Hand to hand, weapons, gymnastics…”

Karen interrupts, “Gymnastics? Really?”

Natasha keeps reading, “Uh huh, technically speaking I’m Olympic level, how do you think I do those flips? How do you think he who shall not be mentioned does those flips?”

Karen shrugs, she just assumed Matt learned as a kid and triple somersaults were like riding a bike, Natasha continues, “Oh and I do spin, but that’s just for fun. I’m the Avengers liaison for New York so there’s meetings too. Why do you ask?”

Karen tries to keep her tone nonchalant, “I was just thinking, it would make a great article, what an Avenger does when not, you know, avenging.”  Natasha finally gives Karen her full attention, “I don’t know, Karen. It’s really not that exciting.”

“But that’s the _point,_ Natasha. The same mundane routine day after day, that’s the stuff that makes you a real person!” Natasha is definitely amused now, “What? Drudgery makes me a real girl at last?” Karen nods, “Exactly! I mean, no, I wouldn’t put it _exactly_ like that….” Natasha laughs and returns to her novel, “Sure, why not?”

~

It’s easy for Karen to be in her own room by 10pm, Foggy is always flagging by then anyway, if not asleep on the sofa.  Matt is never home before 10.30pm. She doesn’t always hear him but she hears often enough to know his routine. She’s fairly sure she’s heard him carry a snoring Foggy up the stairs more than once and she can sometimes hear him and Natasha murmuring to each other before their bedroom door shuts. She’s grateful she can’t hear anything that happens beyond the door. She never hears him leave in the morning, she assumes he takes care not to wake Natasha or Foggy and by default that extends to her.

She frowns at Foggy when she finds him alone on the sofa at 6.30pm one day when she’s been out for a very long lunch with some old friends from the Bulletin. “Where’s Natasha?” Foggy remains engrossed in his TV programme, “Hello to you too, Ms. Page. You missed her by about fifteen minutes. She left to meet Matt, they’re out on a date.”

“Is that a euphemism for fighting crime?”

Foggy shakes his head, “Nope, believe it or not they rarely do that, it wouldn’t take much for someone to put two and two together and come up with Dardevil is Matt Murdock if he was frequently seen with Black Widow.  When they do team up it’s less fighting crime and more he needs her to come and save his reckless yet perfectly formed ass. She had to go save him from Fisk’s goons a couple of months ago, took the Hulk with her as back up, the goons faces were quite the picture I’m told. Great guy, Bruce, remind me to introduce you.  ”

Karen just nods like she has offers to meet green rage monsters every day, “So where are they out to? Dinner?”

“Possibly but the symphony at the Lincoln Centre is the main event I believe, Natasha likes all that twinkly piano music too.” Karen was never a big fan of the twinkly piano music, Matt meanwhile had always looked like he was on the verge of declaring that her music was just noise without any sense of irony. Foggy gestures to his laptop on the coffee table, “You should check out the society pages tomorrow there’ll probably be photos.”

Karen does check and Foggy was right, there’s a photo of Natasha in a dress that shows off all that spin she does, Karen makes a mental note to ask her where she buys her bras from. Matt meanwhile is in a tux, obligatory glasses on, one arm firmly around Natasha’s waist and his cane loosely dangling from his other hand. They look good together.

~

Something happens in Rio that has ‘superhuman shenanigans’ all over it, so much so that Avengers are called on to assemble. Natasha curtly replies ‘not a chance, Page’ to Karen’s request to tag along. In compensation Karen gets to drive Natasha’s Maserati in her absence and finds herself Foggy’s chemo appointment chauffer by default, not that she minds. Foggy looks pale with a weird tinge afterwards, he brushes off Karen’s concern, even when he just asks for some tinned tomato soup and crackers for dinner. Foggy goes to bed afterwards and to be subtle Karen goes to her room to read after skyping with John downstairs. Just in case Foggy needs anything.

It’s dark when the sounds of retching wakens her. She stumbles up, opens the door, but steps back instinctively. Foggy is indeed vomiting in the bathroom across the hall, the door is half open but Matt is crouched down beside him, rubbing Foggy’s back. He’s in his suit pants and shirt so it can’t be that late, Karen glances back at the digital clock on her bedside table, illuminated numbers telling her it’s 11.08. Foggy struggles to stand and Matt helps him, it’s Matt who reaches round him and flushes the toilet pan. Foggy groans, “Sorry, the smell must really get to you.”

Karen can tell from Matt’s expression that Foggy’s right but Matt just shakes his head, “It’s fine, Foggy, really. You feel up to brushing your teeth or do you just want to rinse?”

Foggy hesitates for a second, “Rinse. Sorry.”

Matt’s voice is firm, “Don’t be, here.” Karen can’t quite see but she assumes Matt is handing over mouthwash. After a couple of minutes, and a snickering exchange about swallowing or spitting, the door opens fully and Karen steps back as they slowly emerge from the bathroom.  Karen changes her angle to watch them lumber down the hall and into Foggy’s room. The door remains open so she hears Matt ask, “You want me to sleep in here with you tonight?”

“Nah, you’re all hands and ridiculous abs that cut into me, you’re really not comfy.  I promise not to die during the night…don’t make the wounded duck face, Matt, I’ll be fine, really. Try not to burn the place down when you make dinner, Natasha will kick your ass.”

There’s a rustling noise and Karen assumes Matt is standing up, “I promise to carry you out while I flee the smoke and her deadly retribution, mainly as I’ll need you to drive me to Canada.”

“Night, Matt, love you.”

“Love you more.”

Foggy snorts, “You think you’re being cute but really you’re just being a competitive asshole.”

“Good night, Foggy.”

Karen hangs back from the door while Matt exits Foggy’s room, wonders if she can close it over without Matt noticing, it’s a ridiculous notion of course as he quietly says, “I can hear you’re there, Karen.” She opens the door, “Of course you can. Is he okay?” Matt rubs at his eyes absentmindedly in tiredness. “He’ll feel better in the morning. Do you want a drink? I do.”

He turns and makes his way down the stairs, Karen follows him.

~

Matt retrieves a bottle of vodka out of the cupboard, Karen picks two glasses out to be helpful. She hasn’t failed to notice that he’s put his glasses back on, no longer comfortable enough with her to leave them off. When she first met him and Foggy it had hurt that he’d always do that but now it’s just a vague, general, sadness that he feels he has to.  Matt gestures with the bottle, “Do you want mixer? I’m not sure there is any, Tasha drinks it neat. I’d offer you whiskey but we’re out, Jess was here the weekend before you arrived.”

Karen stands up from where she’d sat down, “Think there’s orange juice, want some?”

Matt shakes his head with a smile, “Nah, I’m pretty sure Tasha would break up with me if she found out I’d cut her good vodka with fruit juice.” Matt pours them both a double shot and Karen fills one glass up with orange juice. They sit opposite each other in silence for a few moments, Karen is determined she won’t be the first to speak. It’s Matt who breaks the silence, or rather her silence, he can probably hear every TV this side of Central Park. “I’m glad you came to see Foggy, it’s good for him to have the extra company.”

“It’s good to see him, I just wish it hadn’t taken him getting sick for us to hang out like we used to. I’ve enjoyed getting to know Natasha too.” Karen means it, more than she thought she would those first couple of awkward days.

Matt makes a non-committal noise, “She’s enjoyed getting to know you, Foggy speaks a lot about you, the old days at Nelson & Murdock, when we took down Fisk, the glory days he calls them.”

Karen takes a sip of her drink, “You don’t speak to her about those days?”

Matt shrugs, “Sometimes but…” Matt seems to be looking for a polite way to say it so Karen spares him, “It barely makes your top ten of important things you should probably tell her?”

Matt smiles, “Something like that.” Matt frowns suddenly, cocks his head to the side, Karen knows that look well, “What’s wrong?” She hopes it’s not Foggy, his heartbeat irregular or his lungs cackling. Matt gestures to the TV in the corner, “The Avengers, they’re on the news.”

Karen grabs for the remote on the table, presses the power button. It’s already on a news channel, Natasha has it on when she’s in the kitchen cooking. They’ve missed whatever footage was being shown but the newscaster is winding up the report, “The Brazilian authorities have conveyed their thanks to the Avengers, who are now heading back to the United States.” Matt exhales, “What is the info banner saying?” Karen read the words as they scroll at the bottom, “Bad guys apprehended.” She grimaces, “Most of them taken alive.” She continues, “Some minor infrastructure damage but no civilian casualties, no Avenger casualties either, they’ve moved on to the next news item, pretty sure they’d have stayed with the story if they weren’t all fine.” Matt nods in agreement and they sit listening to the next news item for a few moments before Matt states, “I’m sorry.”

Karen glances over at him in surprise, “For what exactly?”

“Well there’s probably a lot of things I could apologise for but specifically right now for not understanding the strain it put on you when I went out. I know what it’s like now to lie awake at night wondering if the person you love is coming home to you in a body bag.”

Karen sighs in turn, “Thank you for the apology. For what it’s worth I’m sorry if I ever added to the burden. I’m researching an article, with Natasha, _about,_ Natasha. She was telling me about Sally, about how she couldn’t walk away because she knew she could help her and no one else there that night was going to…it seems the two of you have a lot in common.”

Matt smiles at that and it makes a tiny part of Karen shrivel at how _unguarded_ it is, “Yeah, there’s all that stuff, but it’s the normal stuff in common that’s actually the best bit, even the heavy stuff, she grew up in the system too, well, _a_ system.  It’s nice to actually be able to talk to someone about, I don’t know, not having a real home cooked meal until you were 19 and instead of feeling bad for you and not knowing what to say they _get it_ and the fact catering kitchen mash potatoes are actually better than home made.”

Karen shakes her head, “Clearly you’ve both taken too many hits to the head over the years if you really believe that. I’m happy for you both and your terrible shared taste in potatoes though.”

“Thanks” Matt says dryly, “What about you though? Foggy says you’ve got someone in London?” Karen takes a sip of her drink and nods while Matt continues his polite inquiry, “What does he do?”

“Oh...um, he’s…” She always made such a fuss about how dangerous Matt’s _activities_ were, how he was always getting _hurt,_ “He’s a stuntman, at one of the studios just outside London. The one where they film all those big action films.”

Matt is staring, or what passes for staring for him, “A stuntman? He throws himself about for _entertainment_?”

Karen bristles at that, she doesn’t have to defend herself or John to Matt, whose Daredevil activities were only about a _tenth_ of the reason they broke up anyway, she opens her mouth with _fuck you Murdock_ on the tip of her tongue but before she can Matt throws back his head and laughs. Karen finds herself laughing too.

~

Natasha has a sprained ankle and one hell of a shiner when she returns home the next day. Karen is out picking up groceries and Natasha is there when she returns. Both her and Foggy are at opposite ends of the sofa, Natasha’s legs tucked behind Foggy’s, Matt is sitting in the corner with Natasha propped up against him. Karen hesitates for a moment because she’s not sure how _okay_ Matt and her are after one drink and congenial chat and he’s right _there_ but Natasha is her friend and this time she didn’t come home in a body bag. So she leans down and gives her a quick kiss on the cheek that isn’t one giant bruise. She then sits down to say, “That looks nasty, what happened?” Her eyes drift though to where Matt is fidgeting in his pocket, clearly looking for his glasses, he visibly tenses when Natasha takes the fidgeting hand in hers, preventing him.

“Took a foot to the face” Before Natasha can elaborate Foggy gleefully states, “Tell her who from.”

Natasha snorts, “Steve. The dangers of fighting in close quarters, he feels terrible. If he hadn’t realised it was me at the last minute and pulled back he’d probably have shattered half my face.”

Foggy shakes his head in an elaborate show of dismay, “See if I was you, and Captain America kicked me in the face, I would absolutely expect my boyfriend to call him out, maybe with a glove slap, it’s the gentleman like thing to do.”

Matt unsurprisingly doesn’t take the bait, “Luckily I don’t have the death wish you all seem to think I do.” Natasha pats the hand she previously captured, “Don’t worry, baby, I’d stop him before he messed up your pretty face too much, I know how you rely on it in court.”

After a few more minutes of chat Karen moves to the kitchen to put the groceries away and do some work on her laptop. Foggy drifts in and joins her, assuring her he really does feel much better. Karen realises she left her phone on the coffee table after a while and goes to fetch it. Matt and Natasha are still on the sofa, curled around each other and asleep. Karen is as quiet as she can be and remarks to Foggy with a gesture back towards the living room, “You can’t deny their kids will be gorgeous.”

Foggy makes a face and Karen knows she’s said something wrong, “What?”

Foggy hesitates before saying, “Yeah they would but… don’t say anything like that to either of them….Natasha can’t have kids. They sterilize the girls in the Red Room. Don’t think it’s a huge secret.”

Karen has nothing to say to that. Occasionally she’s been with Natasha when a kid has come up to her and Natasha has always clearly been delighted to meet them. Matt always talked about one day having kids, one of the reasons Karen ended up putting the Atlantic between them. She was certain she not only didn’t want to have children of her own, she certainly didn’t want to end up being guilted into it because Matt made his sad, lonely, orphan face one too many Christmases. Not that they’d ever really had a proper conversation about it, maybe that in itself was an indication of why it hadn’t worked out.

~

Karen’s flight back to London is on a Tuesday afternoon. Natasha has a meeting with the Mayor so she’s said her goodbyes already with a promise that she will definitely be crashing with Karen next time she’s in London. Matt had stopped getting up and out of the house before Karen was awake and had given her a brief hug before leaving for work. While they are definitely parting on better terms Karen still has the distinct impression he’s relieved to see her go.  Luke drives her and Foggy to the airport and it’s a good distraction as Karen hasn’t had the chance to catch up with him this trip.

She starts to sniffle once she and Foggy are standing at the departure gate, Foggy’s tone is light, “C’mon, Page, you’ll set me off.” He hugs her tight, “Don’t leave it so long next time.”

Karen nods as they pull apart, “Come and visit me too? When your treatment’s complete? John would love to meet you.”

Foggy squeezes her hand before finally letting it go, “Absolutely.”

She picks up her carry on, heads to gate and with a final wave walks through to the gate.


End file.
